OSHA Fines New Hampshire Firm for Worker Endangerment
2012-01-27 |
The federal government's safety agency recently fined New Hampshire-based Hiltz Construction $51,260 after workers were observed performing tasks in an unsafe way.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the contractor after inspectors found employees had been exposed to cave-in hazards when installing water pipes at Harriman Hills Affordable Housing in July. It was also discovered that proper training hadn't been given to employees.
"An unguarded trench can collapse in seconds, crushing and burying workers beneath tons of soil and debris before they can react or escape," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's area director in New Hampshire. "The placement of excavated soil at the edge of the trench where it could have rolled in on the workers and the absence of a ladder or other safe and swift means for workers to exit the trench intensified the potential for serious injuries."
OSHA has been making other news when it comes to citing firms for trenching hazards. The agency fined Montana-based Western Municipal Construction $73,920 for cave-in and other hazards.
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